The Boy I Hate(77)

Mark took a sip of his beer, almost studying her. “I’d love to see that, later.”

She raised her eyebrows, aware he was asking to come to her room, and she shook her head. But just then the DJ’s voice sounded through the speakers, saving her from giving any sort of reply. He was calling everyone to the dance floor, beckoning them, with his arms above his head, to come closer. Samantha immediately rose from her seat, excusing herself from the two men, and weaved her way through the crowd.

The DJ was standing in the middle of the dance floor and waited until most everyone had moved closer. “Good evening, ladies and gentleman. As you all may know, we’re here to celebrate the last single days of both Phin and Renee. Untraditionally, they have decided to join their parties together, and share their last night with all of you. Every one of you is special to them, and they want you to get to know one another. So look around, say hello, and find a new best friend. To help you get started, we have a game! I have a couple of assistants walking around handing out pen and paper. Take one. Walk around the room and get to know one another. You’ll need to gather both first and last names, plus the answer to one simple question: how do they know the bride or groom? Easy, right? Though if you’d noticed, there are no clipboards provided. Get creative. Backs—or fronts, make a perfectly acceptable surface.”

A roar erupted from the crowd, and a guy across the stage ripped his shirt off and pointed to his chest.

The DJ laughed and patted him on the back. “To sweeten the pot, the person with the most correct information at the end of the night will win a prize. A two week, all-expenses paid trip to Europe, graciously donated by the groom’s parents.”

Everyone began cheering and hollering and moving around the floor.

“The clock is ticking, ladies and gentleman. You have one hour to get to know each other. Have fun.”

Samantha glanced around all the people, hating her best friend as one of the DJ’s assistants tapped her on the shoulder. The woman handed her a pen and paper, entered her information into a tablet, then smiled and nodded thanks before leaving to pass on to others. “Good luck.”

Samantha clutched the paper in her hand, scanning the room, hoping to spot Tristan, but found Mark standing right behind her instead.

He grinned and narrowed his eyes. “We have to stop meeting like this.” He teased. He then took his pen and paper, stepped around the table and placed it upon her back. “May I?”

She nodded, feeling a bit wobbly after only two sips of her Martini. “Go ahead.”

“Samantha. Is that with two M’s or just one?”

She laughed. “Just one.”

“Last name?”

“Smiles.”

“And how do you know the bride?”

She located Tristan just across the dance floor and cleared her throat. “We grew up together,” she said, suddenly feeling winded, because he was talking to a tall blond, who had her paper flat against his chest.

“Can you be more specific please?” Mark grinned.

“Hartford Grove Elementary, playground, second grade.”

His pen hit her back again, then he turned around and offered her his own. “Your turn.”

She cleared her throat, trying to concentrate, but Tristan was laughing at something the blond was saying, and that irritated her.

“Last name?” She asked Mark.

“Wahlberg.”

“And how do you know the bride and groom,” she said, completely distracted.

“We all met on the set of Boogie Nights.”

But before she could finish writing, Mark slipped out from under her paper and stood in front of her. “Okay, so who is he? Or she…? I’m open-minded like that.”

Samantha blinked a few times, unsure what he was talking about. “Excuse me?”

He raised one eyebrow. “I’m not Mark Wahlberg. But I’m flattered you believed me.”

Her eyes widened and she looked down to her paper. “Sorry, I—”

But he took the pen from her hand and began filling out his information. “Look, I told Renee it was too soon.” He scribbled some words on the paper, handed it back to her, then draped his arm over her shoulder to turn her toward the dance floor. “Is he here? The guy who’s captured your heart?”

She shook her head, feeling heat creep up her cheeks. “No. And I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He smiled, then patted her on the backside. “Must be my imagination.” Soon he was lost in the crowd, gathering more names, and she began making her way back toward the bar. If she was going to get through this night, she was going to need more alcohol.

She introduced herself to as many people as she could along the way, collecting information until she saw Tristan heading for the bar as well.